CL
City Lit Books
Your neighborhood haven for new books, author events, and literary discovery in Chicago.
3.4(5 reviews)
retail-store
$$
Your neighborhood haven for new books, author events, and literary discovery in Chicago.
City Lit Books is a beloved independent bookstore located in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, offering a curated selection of new fiction, non-fiction, and special collections like Arab American Heritage Month highlights. With a 4.8-star rating from over 420 reviews, we pride ourselves on a beautiful, inviting space, helpful staff, and hosting author events. We serve readers of all tastes, from casual browsers to dedicated bibliophiles, providing a welcoming community hub for literary exploration and unique merchandise.
No photos available
Curated selection of recent fiction, non-fiction, biographies, and essay collections, with special themed displays.
Hosting guest speakers and author talks to engage the local literary community.
Convenient hold services for in-store pickup, with confirmation via text for easy retrieval.
Offering cute and literary-themed gifts and accessories alongside books.
Providing a welcoming space for readers to browse, discover, and connect in a vibrant neighborhood setting.
Great bookstore -- tons of options and recent titles of all kinds. I especially liked their essay collection right at the front door! My only qualm with City Lit is everyonce and a while you will pick up a paperback that you would assume to be in the 15-20 dollar range (or somewhere above or below there) and it turns out to be +40$. Not all the books have labels on them with their cost which is okay, I just wasn't expecting a 200 page essay paperback book to be in the 40$ range.
I love this book store, but 2 members of my family have had unpleasant experiences with the staff. When my mom went to pick up my Christmas gift a staff member told her it was "impossible" and there's "no way she has a hold for that book". The staff member didn't even want to check despite the fact my mom had a confirmation text. She rushed over straight from work to get the book, and the cashier was so rude. After a moment the cashier realized she was wrong and they did in fact have the book on hold and apologized.
I really loved this place. Traveled over three hours to visit a couple of places. This store is so beautiful and inviting and the staff were super helpful and friendly. Lots of cute merch too. My favorite buys of the day came from here
Nice smallish bookstore. They're new prints, and unfortunately for me, almost entirely fiction. They had a small section of mostly biographies that I found a few interesting titles in. I ended up only purchasing a gift for someone else. If I had more time I might've stuck around for their guest speaker/author how was setting up when I walked in. I did have a pleasant conversation with the cashier, who confirmed I had good taste in bars and breweries. I'll think of them when I'm ready to read/buy some more Olivia Butler and hangout down the street.
Loved the selection, especially the section highlighting Arab American Heritage Month in April. The space was larger than I was expecting, the store goes in quite deep. There were a lot of people in the store on the Saturday that I visited, which was great to see. Will be back!!
Claim City Lit Books to update business info, respond to reviews, and access analytics.
